Ancient grain or misleading claim?
The next candidate for this most uncoveted award is Kellogg’s 'Ancient Legends' quinoa, apple, cranberry and chia seed muesli.
The manufacturer claims it is a breakfast for legends thanks to the ancient grains.
“[However] the alleged Ancient Legends muesli does not differ greatly from other muesli. The main ingredient is oat, which is not one of the ancient grains. But Kellogg's has his own definition, based on an ‘independent research centre’ commissioned by Kellogg's, according to which, oats also belong to the primary cereals.”
There is no legal definition of ancient grain in Germany but the Federal Centre for Nutrition (Bundezentrum für Ernährung, or BZfE) offers
As well as too few ancient grains, the muesli contains 20% sugar as well as palm oil, additives and flavourings – “anything but ancient”, says the campaign group.
This is not the first time Kellogg’s Ancient Legend muesli has come under fire for misleading marketing practices.
One consumer filed a complaint on a food clarity website run by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture over its spelt and chia seed muesli, which contains 51% wheat and 10% oats.
Responding to this complaint, Kellogg’s said: “Our product is a cereal product in which cereal flakes are naturally the main ingredient. Spelt, apple, sultana and chia seeds are other ingredients and characterize the product. They are therefore decisive for the variety description.”
This was not a good enough explanation for Germany’s consumer centre, however, which concluded the product is misleading.
“In particular, the naming and illustration of chia seeds is not, in our opinion, proportional to the available quantity of 1% and the consumer is clearly deceived.
“The supplier should already point out the essential ingredients in terms of quantity on the display side and change the presentation,” it said.
© Foodwatch